Are Baby Food Pouches A Problem In Disguise?

While pouches can be a convenient option for on-the-go, those “in-between” moments and special medical cases there is a growing body of research that suggests pouches can hinder healthy development of eating skills among other things. Read on to find out why we think spooning first bites is best.

Eating from a Spoon

Helps your baby learn to chew

Encourages development of oral muscles required for speech and vital early verbal skills

Allows your baby to learn important lifetime habits such as taking breaks between bites and stopping when full

Allows your baby to progress to and experience more textured foods

Encourages important interaction between you and your baby at mealtime

Your baby experiences the sensory properties of food such as aroma, texture, color and taste

Learning to eat and self-feed contributes directly to motor skills and to the development of hand-mouth and hand-eye coordination

Reduced risk of choking

Sucking from a Pouch

Delays development of the natural chewing action and oral muscles

Makes it difficult for your baby to control intake, increasing the risk of overeating

Prevents the important progression towards more textured foods

Reduces the important interaction between you and your baby at mealtime

So, are pouches all bad? Not at all! Pouches can be a convenient option for older kids on-the-go and helpful for children who suffer from things such as Sensory Processing Disorders and Texture Aversions. At the end of the day as parents we’re all doing the best we can. Pouch and spoon aside, the thing that matters most is that our kids are eating in the first place!